Well, I hope that I can do a good job of this.  I have never done this before, so please bear with me.  LOL  I will just tell it how I saw it, how is that?

 

The show that I saw was the start of the third leg Vertigo tour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Monday, September 12, 2005. 

 

The show was the first for U2 in a rest from the Vertigo tour in about a month, although, they performed for Katrina benefits and tour rehearsals.  They seemed very refreshed and ready to go again.  The energy that they walked on stage with was amazing!  I don't know how they keep it up throughout the touring, but if the people in the audience were letting the boys feed off of the energy, then let me tell you, they would have been energized enough to fly to the moon for sure that night!

 

The opening band was called Dashboard Confessional and they were very good. They began at about 7:30 pm. I felt that they were a little on the loud side though.  I am sounding like a old person now, LMAO!  The lead singer said that he was from Florida and could feel for the people that lost so much due to Katrina.  The crowd liked them and the band was well recieved, although there were some seats unfilled.  That was soon remedied when U2 took to the stage though.  It was a big night for Dashboard Confessional the lead singer said as U2 was a favourite of theirs.

 

On to the U2 bit...

 

My husband told be to watch behind the stage where the black drapes were hanging, as he was sure that is were the band would emerge from.  He was right!  I kept squeeling " There's Bono!"  "It's Bono!"  "Look, look!"   My husband was laughing at me, nodding and saying "Yes dear, I see him, I see him" 

 

I hooted, hollered, and cheered right along with the rest of the thousands that packed the Air Canada Centre.  I am surprised that the roof is still attached!  LOL

 

The band was in tip-top form.  The music and the singing was fabulous.  One highlight for me was when Bono sang Miss Sarajavo.  He sang the Luciano Pavarotti part himself!!!!!!  It was amazing to hear his voice do that!!!!  He was bang-on great!

 

Bono also surprised me with playing the drums.  Larry had a small drum set way out in the centre of the large circle-stage and he played Love And Peace and bashed away on the set.  Then Bono took over and wearing a cute headband and leather jacket, bashed away like a mad-man on the drum set.  It was awesome.

 

I got a kick out of Bono's reference to "Lovers in a Dangerous Time", which was by our beloved Canadian artist, Bruce Cockburn and was performed by our own Barenaked Ladies as well.  He was refering to 9-11, Katrina, the London bombings, and other terrible events happening this year around the world.  He dedicated a song to the people affected by terrorism as well as one for the hurricane Katrina victims.

 

The Toronto film festival was on while we were there and Bono talked about that a bit.  He said that Cuba Gooding was at the show.  Bono really charmed the crowd that night.  He mentioned how he thought that Canadians were the most generous people in the world and he also talked about some of our talented artist like Leonard Cohen.

 

Our beloved four boys played a new song this night for us too.  Fast Cars was never performed live before.  What a treat that was!  It is an awesome song. 

There were some differences from the first two legs of the tour, and that made such a nice treat for us all that night. 

 

The lights were fabulous.  The stage was great.  The crowd was on their feet for most of the night, bouncing and singing along.  Bono would get us involved by holding his mic to us and getting us to sing along.  It was wonderful. 

 

The band include all of their previous eras in the show, from the early days to the Pop age and more.  I loved the video screens above the lighting and the stage where you could watch the boys and also see video of different things from past U2 shows and human rights blurbs. 

 

Bono also mentioned to us all to keep on our Prime Minister and hound him about helping the third world people who need relief.  He said that it is our tax money after all and we need to tell our leaders how we want it spent.

 

I thought that I would become hoarse from screaming and cheering so loudly, but I didn't.  LOL  My husband enjoyed the show as well and got a real kick out of it when Bono mentioned how good looking Irish men are.  My husband is Irish and I could not agree more.  He and Bono are my two favourite cutie-pies.

 

My husband bought me a t-shirt there.  It is a black one with the band on it and a big red V for Vertigo.  I was thrilled to see that Edun made the tour t-shirts.  He thought that they were a bit pricey at $45.00.  But a beer was $6.75 and a bottle of water was $3.75!!!!! The Air Canada Centre made good money that night!  LMAO

 

I honestly had the time of my life there that night.  I was not dissapointed by anything.  The lines were polite and we did not have to wait too long to get in and get to our seats.  U2 fans are such wonderful people, they really are.  There were the people with the clip-boards signing people up for the One campaign there as well.  I am still walking on air because of that night.  I have perma-grin!  What a fabulous first-ever-for-me U2 show. I did not want it to end.  I will never forget it, ever. 

 

Thank you Bono, Edge, Larry, and Adam for giving me such a great night of joy.  I love all four of you .

 

Pine